Car-coupling device



April 28, 1925.

J. C. WHITRIDGE ET AL CA R COUPLING DEVICE Filed Nov. 5, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 28, 1925.

J. C. WHITRIDGE E1 AL CAR COUPLING DEVI CE File'd Nov. 5, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Apr. 28, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,535,971 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN CLIFFORD WHITRIDGE, GEORGE TEWKSBURY JOHNSON,- AND HARRY HAMIL- TON WOLFE, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIG-NORS TO THE BUCKEYE STEEL CASTINGS COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

CAR-COUPLING DEVICE.

Application filed November 5, 1923. Serial No. 672,855.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J OHN C. Wnirninen,

Gnonen T. JOHNSON, and HARRY H. Won-rm,

citizens of the United States, and residents of Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gar-Cow pling Devices; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionpf the invention, such as will .enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make" and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in car coupling devices, the subject-matter of this application having been originally shown, described and claimed in an application for patent filed by J. C. Whitridge, T. Johnson, H. 1V. Stertzbach and H. H. Wolfe, March 22, 1923 and designated by Serial No. 626,934.

The present improvements are intended more particularly for use on roads which are in the transition period of substituting the M. C. B. automatic coupler for the hook and screw type of coupler. On such roads, some cars are equipped with the automatic coupling while others retain'couplers of the hook type and it is frequently necessary to connect the different types of conplers. vVhile devices for eii ecting this result have been heretofore produced, considerable difficulty hasbeen experienced in avoiding jamming of the connecting devices when the cars come together in butting position, and it is the primary object of the invention to provide inexpensive and efficient means torconnecting a hook or European type of coupler with the automatic coupler which will provide ample clearance for the transition links when the cars are in butting position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a connection which will be flexible so as to accommodate itself to differences in the height of the two couplers but maintain the coupled relation until separation of the cars is desired.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations otparts as hereinafterset forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a plan view of coupling devices embodying our invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1, the parts being shown in the position assumed when the cars come together; Figure 3 is a plan view of another form of the invention, and Figure t is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 3.

In the drawings, 1 designates an M. C. B. type of automatic coupler and 2 designates the hook of a coupler oi the European type. in carrying out the invention, the knuckle 3 is cored out so as to form an opening vertically'therethrough adjacent its free end to receive a pin 4, and also form a horizontal notch or slot 5 in said end of the knuckle midway the height thereof and intersecting the vertical opening, the forward end oi said notch or slot being flared, as shown at 6. is fitted within the notch or slot 5 and through which the pin i is engaged so that the eye will be firmly held to the knuckle and will transmit pulling strain thereto. The eye 7 is formed integral with an eye 8 which is disposed vertically in front of the knuckle and rests in the flared end 6 of the notch 5, as shown in Fig. 2, thetwo eyes 7 and 8 forming a twisted link and constituting, with the pin 4, a pin and link coupling. Un the rear side of the eye 7 is a lug 9 the ends of which project above and below the eye and thereby bridge the notch or slot 5 and bear against the rear side of the knuckle to aid in transmitting pulling strain to the knuckle and thence to the coupler drawhead, it being understood that the knuckle is locked in coupled position in the usual manner. The lug 9 may be omitted, if desired, and the device would still give satisfactory service, but it the lug be used a' lighter pin may be employed and the vertical opening through the draw-head may be correspondingly reduced. Engaged with the eye 8 is one end of a straight link 10 which may turn on a vertical plane pivotally in the eye, and the opposite end of the link is pivotally engaged through the eye 11 at the end of a link 12 which is engaged over the bill of the coupler hook. It is to be noted that the link 12 has a somewhat trapezoidal form. its sides converging toward the eye 11 which latter extends centrally from the top and bottom of the link at the end thereof farthest removed from An eye 7 is employed which the coupler hook. The opening of the link 12 is thus given an outline corresponding to the crosssectional contour of the coupler hook so that wiile it may be easily coupled therewith, it cannot twist thereon although it may swing in the plane of the hook. The connection consisting of the link 10 and the members engaged therewith will thus be held in the line oi draft although pivotal movement about the pin l inavoccur to accommodate the position oi the cars when passing around curves and pivotal movement at the distal ends of the links 10 and 12 permit the connection to assume an inclination necessary to accommodate ditl'erences in the heights of the cars and also to absorb the vi .tion oi? the same when in motion.

Normally, under load, the cars will be apart and the coupling connection will be straight and taut. Various conditions, however, cause the cars to approach and buli'ers are provided on the car ends to limit the approaching i'i'iovenient, but, with most 01? the devices heretofore produced, the movement oi the cars toward each other results in jamming and breakage of some of the ith the device 01 this invention, U and breaking is avoided inasmuch as a joint is proviced between the connections with the respective couplers so that when the cars come together the links 10 and 12 told or hinge downwardly between the two couplers, as shown in Fig. 2 Without jan'nning against either coupler.

in Figures 3 and a is shown a form of the invention in which the horizontal notch or slot in the knuckle is omitted and the pin 13 is provided with an eye 1% at its upper end, a link 15 being engaged with said eye and flexibly connected with the coupler hook. In this form of the invention, the toll. ng of the connection occurs above the horizontal line of draft instead of below it in the previously described. torn]. Having fully described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of an automatic coupler including a knuckle, and a vertical pin in the free end portion. of the knuckle, the tree end of the knuckle having a horizontal notch therein, an element fitting Within said notch and about said p n, a hook coupler, and (Join nect-ions between said element and the hook coupler permitting relative pivotal movement of the same, said connection having a part disposed behind the notch in the knuckle.

in a device of the class described, the combination of an automatic coupler iiicluding a knuckle and a vertical. pin in the free end portion of the same, a link lit-ted pii'otrll; about the pin within the knuckle, a hook coupler, a link engaged closely about the bill ot said hook coupler and conforming to the cross-sectional outline of the same and having a central vertically-disposed eye at its outer end, and a link connection between said eve and the first-mentioned link.

3. in device. of the class described, the combination of an autoi'natic coupler including a knuckle having a horizontal notch. in its free end, the front end of said notch being flared, and a pin mounted in the kn' rkle and pa ng :zcro notch :2 t vised link h. ng one end engaged in said notch and about the pin and its opposite end conforming to the contour of the flared front end of the notch, a hook coupler, and a link connection between said twisted link and the hook coupler.

in a device of the class described, the combination an automatic coupler including a knuckle having a notch in its free end, and a pin mounted in the knuckle and passing across said notch, an eye engaged in said notch and about the pin, a lug on said eye bridging the notch at the rear side oi the knuckle, a hook coupler, and a link connection between said eye and the hook coupler.

in testimony whereoi, we have signed this specification in the presmne of two sub scribing witnesses.

St ll?! (KT ii A RB Y Vlitnesses O Y T 7 Y 1 p, T 1 omnnni oOHnS'lOn Anemone, lino t Doonnuinu. 

